Chapter 15 · No Free Answers Down Below

The woman at the door had a crossbow pointed at Mark's chest before Ella finished knocking.

"Wrong address," the woman said.

Mark raised both hands. Ella didn't move. She'd gone still the way she did in the archive, right before Veran's sword came down.

"Toria Grey," Ella said. Her voice came out flat. "We need to buy silence."

The woman—Toria, apparently—looked them over. She was maybe thirty-five, lean, with short dark hair and the kind of face that didn't give anything away. She wore a leather vest over a thin shirt, both streaked with old stains that might've been ink or blood. The crossbow didn't waver.

"I don't sell silence," Toria said. "I sell information. Silence is just me not selling information about you. Costs more."

"How much?" Mark asked.

Toria's eyes flicked to him. "You're the summon."

Not a question. Mark's stomach dropped.

"Yeah," he said. "That a problem?"

"Depends." Toria stepped back, crossbow still up. "Get in. Fast."

They got in fast.

The room inside was smaller than Mark's old cubicle. Shelves lined every wall, crammed with books, scrolls, loose papers, and stuff Mark couldn't identify.